Buffy Meets the Initiative
by Nitrowugs
Summary: At Riley's request Buffy meets with Professor Walsh regarding the professor's desire to have Buffy join the Initiative.


Buffy Meets the Initiative

Author: Nitrowugs

Rating: PG for off-color words

Pairings: None

Feedback: Please. Constructive criticism is always welcomed and appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with BtVS. (Characters, plots, and dialogue from the show are borrowed with no infringement intent whatsoever.)

Distribution: Please ask and let me know where it's going.

Written: 06/28/2011

Summary: At Riley's request Buffy meets with Professor Walsh regarding the professor's desire to have Buffy join the Initiative.

A/N 1: Remember Professor Walsh? I never liked her know-it-all, holier-than-thou attitude, and I certainly didn't like the way she looked down her nose when she spoke to Giles. This is how I think Buffy should have handled Walsh in their meeting regarding the Initiative.

A/N2: Thoughts are in single quotes ('').

Buffy and Professor Walsh sat opposite each other at the professor's desk; Riley stood next to Walsh. Buffy wasn't sure this was a good idea, but Riley was so excited about it, the least she could do was attend the meeting.

"Prof Walsh, before we get started on this collaboration that you've proposed, I just want you to know that I do not take orders from you; you are not my superior."

Maggie Walsh looked at the slayer, too stunned for words. 'The nerve,' she thought; 'does she know who I am?' She refused to allow herself to be rattled by this little girl. 'I don't care who she claims to be.' Aloud her response was quite different; it did not reflect her thoughts. "You do understand that I work for the United States government?"

Buffy was calm and relaxed, not at all intimidated by Maggie. 'She may be queen bee in her classroom, but outside she is just another power hungry female, no different from the demons that I face every night.' Buffy's response did reflect her thoughts. "That just means that my superiors are a lot higher up than yours."

Prof Walsh sat up straighter in her chair. "What do you mean? Who are your superiors?"

Buffy almost laughed out loud at the rattled expression on the professor's face.

"I am not at liberty to reveal that information at this time. My responsibility is to destroy evil demons on the earth. Where our goals are the same, I can decide to help you; I am not obligated to do so."

"These evil demons that you say you destroy, does that include vampires?"

'Is she for real' "I _**am**_ the vampire slayer."

"You poke them with a sharp stick as I understand it?" Walsh said attempting and failing to not look down her nose at the slayer.

"It works and it doesn't cost an arm and two legs. Besides that, not one vampire or demon that I've 'poked with a sharp stick' has lived to harm anybody else."

"Exactly how effective are you in your slaying? Agent Finn here, alone, has killed or captured … " she turned to Riley, "How many is it?"

Riley's chest puffed up with pride as he answered, "Seventeen. Eleven vampires, six demons."

Buffy tried hard to sound impressed. "Oh ... wow. I mean … that's . . . seventeen."

"What about you?" Walsh challenged.

Buffy knew exactly what she was asking. "What about me?"

"How many hostiles would you say you've slain?"

Buffy looked her directly in the eye, very calm, very cool, very collected when she answered, "More than 17."

Walsh was not impressed. "How many, Miss Summers?"

"You'd have to ask my watcher for more accurate numbers, but considering I've been slaying since I was 15 and I killed a vampire my first night out, I'd say ... thousands."

Surprise showed on the faces of Riley and the professor and she let Buffy know exactly how she felt about her response when she said, "I don't believe you."

Buffy folded her arms across her chest. "It doesn't matter to me whether or not you believe me. You will find, if you get to know me better, that I don't deliberately lie, except to my mother, and that's because I'm trying to protect her."

"You said that I could ask your watcher for more accurate numbers. What is a watcher and who is he?"

"A watcher is a mentor, a trainer, a guide for the slayer. My watcher is Rupert Giles. I believe you've met him."

Disgust showed on Walsh's face as she said, "That bumbling, doddering old Englishman who came into my office looking for you? That's your mentor and guide? Well I must say, I certainly expected … a more intelligent person than that to be mentor for a slayer."

Buffy was livid as she raised her voice glaring at Walsh. "You have some nerve. You dare criticize Giles when you don't know what you're talking about; Giles is probably the smartest person I've ever met. He was educated in the finest schools and universities in England and then trained for years by the Watchers' Council, he speaks multiple languages, both ancient and modern, and there isn't a school of thought that you can mention that he is not well versed in. As far as being a bumbling, doddering old Englishman, he's not as old as you are; if he is he certainly doesn't look it."

Riley was shocked and Walsh was offended by Buffy's words but they tried not to let it show.

"Buffy...y-you really shouldn't speak to Prof Walsh like that."

"Well Prof Walsh should refrain from speaking about people without first acquiring accurate knowledge of the subject," Buffy replied still glaring at the professor.

Walsh was not used to being criticized and she tried to regain control of the meeting. "All right, all right let's calm down. We are getting off on the wrong foot. I'm sure there are many things that we can learn from each other if we take a step back and see ... "

Buffy had heard enough. "You know what, I just did take a step back and I see things quite clearly. You may be an authority on the psychology that you teach, but you don't know 'jack' about dealing with people." She stood up. "Coming here was a mistake and this meeting is over."

She turned and headed for the door without another word.

"Buffy," Riley called after her, but she ignored him and continued out the door without looking back.


End file.
